Soldiers, sailors, marines and security personnel operating fixed weapon emplacements which may include weapons, such as but not limited to: the M2HB .50 caliber Machine Gun, MK43 Mod 1 7.62 mm Machine Gun, M240 7.62 mm Machine Gun, M249 5.56 mm Machine Gun, MK48, MK46 weapons, or to weapon mounts and cradles to include but not be limited to the MK16 stand, MK82, MK93, MK95, MK97 and MK125 and to all modifications related to these types of stands and cradles. Positions including these and other weapons may all be exposed to incoming bullets and shrapnel. It is desirable to shield these gunners from incoming fire with minimal compromise to their effectiveness.
There is a need for protective ballistic weapon stands used for fixed weapon emplacements, wherein the ballistic stands protect gunners from incoming bullets and shrapnel while providing support for a weapon or a number of weapons. A standard practice is to mount weapons on tripods to provide adequate three-point support, but to date the advantages of tripods, especially for weapons fired while standing, have not been integrated with the advantages provided by ballistic weapons stands.